Expert: Risk of violence may be overlooked in dementia patients

Clinicians may overlook the risk for violence among older dementia patients and should make asking about gun ownership and talking about gun safety part of their care, said Dr. Paul Kirwin, immediate past president of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, at the group's annual meeting. A 2004 Veterans Affairs study that found 40% of veterans with dementia had guns in their homes.